OCCUPIED JERUSALEM,(Palestine Foundation Information Center) Tens of thousands of worshippers performed Friday prayer at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, despite the restrictions and constraints imposed by the Israeli occupation authority (IOA) in the streets of Jerusalem, around the Old City, and near the Mosque.
The Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem said that 40,000 worshippers performed Friday prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque, then offered absentee prayers for the souls of the martyrs of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Israeli occupation police set up iron barricades around the Old City and Al-Aqsa Mosque, stopped dozens of worshippers, and confiscated and inspected their IDs.
Police officers were deployed across the streets of occupied Jerusalem, stopping young men, detaining some, and preventing others from reaching the holy site.
Sheikh Muhammad Salim called, in his Friday sermon, on Palestinians to travel to Al-Aqsa Mosque, saying, “The reward of one of you will be equal to the reward of fifty of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, as long as you care for this holy site. So come to your Al-Aqsa, travel to it, and hasten to revive it by coming morning and evening to its courtyards.”
Meanwhile, widespread calls from Jerusalemite activists continue, urging Palestinian masses to head to the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and to participate in ribāt (steadfast presence) in its courtyards to thwart the plans of the IOA and its settlers.
The calls stressed the need for mass mobilization to confront the IOA decisions aimed at reducing the number of worshippers.
They also emphasized the importance of heading en masse to Al-Aqsa and performing prayers there, considering it a practical step to confront the IOA measures and break its attempts to isolate the Mosque from its social and religious surroundings.
Activists stated that ribāt in Al-Aqsa at this critical time represents popular steadfastness in the face of the IOA escalation and sends a clear message that Al-Aqsa Mosque is a red line that cannot be crossed under any circumstances.
On Thursday, dozens of settlers stormed the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, performing Talmudic rituals in its courtyards under the protection of occupation forces.
